Are you a Manager or a Leader?
To manage or to lead? Is the question all managers must ask themselves. But what does it
really mean to be a manager or a leader? Is being a leader significantly different than being
a manager, and is it possible to manage and to lead at the same time?
Definition of a Manager and a Leader:
A manager basically directs resources to complete predetermined goals or projects. For example,
a manager may engage in hiring, training, and scheduling employees in order to accomplish work
in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible. A manager is considered a failure
if he/she is not able to complete the project or goals with efficiency or when the cost becomes
too high.
On the other hand, a leader within a company develops individuals in order to complete
predetermined goals and projects. A leader develops relationships with his/her employees by
building communication, evoking images of success, and by eliciting loyalty.
Comparison of Manager versus Leader:
Manager: A company CEO directs Sarah, one of the companies up and coming managers, to hire
enough new employees to provide the company with a state-of-the-art customer service department.
Sarah undertakes her project with enthusiasm. She hires only those employees who can work the
assigned hours, will accept the modest pay, and have experience working in customer service.
She trains her new employees to perform the job to her expectations and assigns the employees to
their new positions. Sarah measures her success in terms of efficiency, calls handled per hour,
and cost effectiveness, i.e., did she meet her budget. However, Sarah did not anticipate that
of the employees she hired, only a handful would remain working six months later.
Leader: Rob obtains the same assignment as Sarah. Rob hires employees that he believes he can
develop a working relationship with, versus just those employees who will worked the assigned
hours and take the modest pay. Rob's goal is to hire a diverse group of employees, some of who
do not have any customer service experience, who he feels he can develop a personal connection.
A large part of Rob's training involves team building, telling successful stories, and listening
to each employee's own desires for what constitutes a fulfilling job. Rob still assigns his
employees their job duties and schedules at the end of training, and he also measures success
in terms of efficient and cost effectiveness, but he also measures success in terms of low
employee turnover, employee morale, and employee development. Rob feels proud when one of
his employees obtains an advance level position a year or two after being hired.
Can a Manager be a Leader and a Leader be a Manager?
The answer to the question is "yes." The skills to be a leader or a manager are not exclusive
in nature. A leader who only displays leadership skills will be ineffective when it comes to
checking time cards, completing employee reviews, and scheduling employee vacation time; things
that employers require their managers to do on timely bases. Similarly, a manager who spends
all his/her time completing paperwork and reading reports; only creates more problems for him
or her because they lack a developing relationship with their employees.
If you are a manager who has spent too much time managing and not leading his/her employees,
start spending 10% of your time each week leading until you can establish 25% of your time in
leadership practices. If you are a leader who only likes to lead, either become a politician,
hire an assistant to be the manager, or start spending 50% of your time getting the paperwork
done.
Happy Working,
Gary Vikesland, MA LP CEAP
Employer-Employee.com
Main Page
|
